Retention Edge E24: What Actually Works on TikTok Shop (Lessons From the Trenches)

6 things to know if you want to crush it on TikTok Shop.

Author

Pietro Saccomani
January 06, 2026

This week on the Retention Edge podcast, we sat down with Ian Page, CEO of Bullseye Sellers, to talk about what really works on TikTok Shop - and why so many brands fail before they ever get traction.

This was a practical, sometimes uncomfortable breakdown of what the channel demands from brands who want to win.

I still remember when no one took TikTok seriously as a platform. Now? It’s one of the biggest marketing channels there is.

Get it right, and it can mean massive momentum for your brand.

Here are the biggest takeaways.

1. TikTok Shop is a product-first channel (brutally so)

TikTok Shop doesn’t care about your brand story, your founder background, or how well you sell on Amazon.

It cares about one thing: the product on video.

If your product can’t instantly demonstrate a problem and solution visually, TikTok will punish you for it.

“The product is either going to be a star on TikTok, or it’s going to be a dud.”

This is where a lot of brands get stuck. They assume success elsewhere guarantees success here. It doesn’t. TikTok is not search-driven - it’s interruption-driven.

2. The best TikTok products sell themselves on camera

The products that win on TikTok consistently share a few traits:

  • They look better when used

  • The benefit is obvious without explanation

  • They create a before/after moment

That’s why things like household products, skincare, pet products, and simple CPG items dominate.

“I like to say the product is the star — not the creator making the video.”

If a viewer needs context, specs, or comparisons to understand why they should care, you’ve already lost them.

3. Affiliates aren’t just distribution — they’re validation

The biggest mistake you’re going to make is throwing tons of money to try and sell a product that was never going to work.

One of my favorite reframes from the episode: your affiliates are your first customers.

Before TikTok shoppers ever see your product, affiliates decide whether it’s worth their time to promote.

“If you can convince affiliates, you can probably sell the product.”

Ian uses affiliate response rate as a market signal:

  • 3–5% response rate = healthy

  • Over 5% = strong signal

  • ~1% or lower = something’s wrong with the product or offer

This makes TikTok Shop less about “launching fast” and more about testing demand honestly.

4. You can’t be precious about brand control early on

This is where a lot of founders struggle.

Early TikTok content will be messy. Some videos won’t match your brand perfectly. Many will flop.

And that’s normal.

“You’re going to need to be okay with some videos not representing your brand well.”

The upside? Those low-performing videos barely get seen. As momentum builds, affiliates naturally copy what works - and brand consistency improves on its own.

5. TikTok is an impulse channel — price matters

TikTok users aren’t comparison shopping. They’re scrolling on the couch.

That’s why most winning products sit in the $20-$30 range.

“Do you expect someone to spend $82 on a brand they don’t recognize… or $25 on something that looks like it solves their problem?”

Higher-priced items can work, but usually only if there’s existing trust or brand awareness. Otherwise, friction kills conversion.

6. Why most brands fail (and it’s not the algorithm)

Ian sees the same failure patterns over and over:

  1. Wrong product - and refusing to pivot

  2. Giving up too early

  3. Running out of budget before momentum kicks in

The first six months are expensive. The climb from $0 → $50k is slow and painful. But once momentum hits, everything gets easier.

“The first video probably won’t hit. Sometimes it’s the 600th. But that one video is a million-dollar roadmap.”

Final Thoughts

TikTok Shop isn’t a shortcut. It’s not the kind of channel, like Meta or Google, where you can just throw money at any old product and get it to sell.

It’s a pressure test.

It tests:

  • Product-market fit

  • Founder patience

  • Willingness to let go of control

  • Ability to think long-term

For brands that pass those tests, the upside compounds fast.

If you want to hear the full conversation, including how Ian builds affiliate armies and scales brands past six figures, check out the full episode here:

You can also find it on Spotify, if that’s your thing. Wherever you listen, don’t forget to like, rate, review, comment, subscribe. Each interaction helps us bring more experts on to share their wisdom (always free, btw).

You can find and connect with Ian here, and check out his agency Bullseye Sellers here.

I’ll be back later in the week with the latest from around the ecom world, plus our regular deep dives into retention and sustainable growth strategies.

Talk soon,

Pietro and The Retention Edge Team

PS: thinking about launching your own app? Go to our website to get a preview of your app for free, or shoot me a DM on LinkedIn to talk about it.